


Black Lotus

by PandoraButler



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Black Butler - Freeform, Kuroshitsuji - Freeform, Love Alarm, M/M, Multi, adrian crevan is undertaker, band au, k-pop AU, punk!vincent, thug!vincent, vincent x undertaker, vintaker, waiter!vincent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22422742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandoraButler/pseuds/PandoraButler
Summary: Vincent is the unruly waiter at a Chinese buffet titled Black Lotus. He is friends with the owner (which is the only reason he hasn't been fired yet) and terrible with customer service. A regular by the name of Adrian Crevan is infatuated with him, but because he doesn't have the Heart Radius app, Vincent doesn't know.
Relationships: Real Ciel Phantomhive & Sebastian Michaelis, Sebastian Michaelis & Ciel Phantomhive, Sebastian Michaelis & Ciel Phantomhive & Real Ciel Phantomhive, Vincent Phantomhive & Undertaker
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

In the future, about one hundred years or so, there is an app for everything. Everything under the sun. You can get an app to have a fictional boyfriend. You can get an app to tell you who you're attracted to, what gender you are, or if you'd end up with a good job in the future. One such app, can tell you who you're in love with. 

It's called Heart Radius.

It works like this: you download the app, take a picture of yourself, and based on a series of questions it'll predict your sexuality. As long as you're within a 10-meter radius of the person you're attracted to, their Heart Radius will go off, notifying them that you like them. The more popular you are, the more your Heart Radius will activate. Famous celebrities often use this feature to brag about their Heart Radius counts (it is possible to keep track of how many people have notified you of their feelings). Depending upon who the person is, the hearts on the screen will change color.

Male - Blue Heart

Female - Pink Heart

Prefer Not to Tell - Grey Heart

Identify as a Different Gender - Flag Specific Colors

Adrian Crevan downloaded this app. For fear of being rejected, he has it on Pause. Pause keeps his Heart Radius from activating (both parties must have their account Unpaused in order for either one to get notified. The overall notification process is anonymous, but if there are only two people in your 10-meter radius...things get a bit obvious). Why did he download it if he wanted no one to know? Well, a few months ago, he found himself frequenting a Chinese buffet called Black Lotus. In that buffet, a certain waiter with blue hair, arms filled with tattoos, and ears covered in piercings, caught his attention. He thought for sure his Heart Radius would tell him the truth of his feelings, and since then, he Paused it. The truth of the matter was, this waiter didn't even have a Heart Radius account. Because his phone wasn't fancy enough to download the app. Even so, his heart has forever been paused...or so he thought. 


	2. Chapter 2

"What the fuck do you want to order?" the blue-haired beauty slammed a drink menu down on the table. Adrian scrambled to pick it up.

"Uhm, uh, well, can I have a few minutes please?"

"What do you think this place is? It's a buffet. You come here often enough you should know what drink you want off the top of your head by now. Bitch, just pick a damn drink. I don't have all night," the waiter snapped. He wasn't good in the customer service department. He wasn't even very nice as a general person you'd pass on the street. Adrian didn't understand why he liked him so much. Probably because he was used to people sucking up to him. This waiter was very refreshing, even if he was intimidating.

"I'm sorry," Adrian glanced at the drink menu. "Can I have half tea and half lemonade please?"

The waiter snatched the menu out of his hand. "What do I look like, an idiot? I know how to mix two goddamn drinks!" He grumbled to himself and walked off. Adrian stared at his back as he did so. His hair was pulled back into a small ponytail. His black shirt's sleeves were rolled up to show off his arm's tattoos. His shirt unbuttoned slightly at the top, with a pattern of a different tattoo poking out and surrounding his collarbone. A piercing on his nostril and his ears riddled with others. Adrian looked down at the table. He should stop staring so much.

"Vincent!" the owner of the buffet draped his arm over Vincent's shoulder and shook his head with shame. "What have I told you about being nice to customers?"

"Maybe, and here is just a thought, you should've thought about that before moving me from the fucking kitchen you dumbass piece of shit!" Vincent growled.

"You have to get over this attitude of yours somehow. I'll have you know that guy is a regular here and because of him we have been getting more customers! So be nice, please?" Lau blinked his sorry eyes and fluttered his eyelashes while pouting.

"Listen bitch, there ain't no saving this place. Maybe you should start playing actual Chinese music instead of fucking Hannah Montana shit," Vincent rolled his eyes and removed Lau's hand from his shoulder. "If you excuse me I have half and half to make."

"I'm the only person that'll hire you! Be nice to me!" Lau shed a tear.

"Shove it, asshole," Vincent didn't look back and gave his boss the finger.

"It's amazing anyone comes here at all anymore with that guy on my staff," Lau sighed. "I really am sorry my darling customers! Please forgive my rude worker!" he called out to the store. His phone vibrated with the Heart Radius notification. Someone within ten meters loves you!

"Hm?" Lau checked his phone to see a blue heart. "What's this? One of my darling customers is crushing on me? I don't know who you are but thank you!" He shouted at everyone in the restaurant. "I hope we meet personally so I can start to return your feelings!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Vincent slapped Lau on the side of his head and carried the drink over to Adrian. "Here is your weirdass drink," he slammed it down on the table and caused it to spill a bit.

"Thank you," Adrian grabbed the glass before Vincent's hand left it. His fingers lingering on Vincent's. The waiter pulled his hand back and walked away. Well, that'll be enough for Adrian's diary entry later.

"Vincent, have you downloaded Heart Radius yet?" Lau asked.

"I keep telling you I don't get paid enough to get a fancy ass phone for that stupid ass app."

"Maybe, if you were nice, customers would tip you," Lau raised an eyebrow.

"This is a fucking buffet! What are they going to tip me for? I don't do anything but give them a damn beverage!"

"This is still a family restaurant you should stop cursing," Lau shook his head. He sighed. They weren't going to get customers at this rate. Even his regular ones complained about Vincent now.

"Here is a thought," Vincent raised his finger and pointed, "why don't you just put me back in the damn kitchen?" A murmur of agreement came from the few customers in the restaurant (except Adrian, of course). "Or, maybe," Vincent pointed to the ceiling, "stop playing this shitty music!" Another murmur of agreement.

"You don't understand the beauty of Hannah!" Lau sobbed and rushed back behind the counter. "I'll always be her fan," he sniffled.

Vincent rolled his eyes and leaned up against the bar table. They had a bar table, but no drinks to serve there. It was practically just decoration for him to lean up against.

"Hey, asshole waiter, can we get another water over here?" a customer asked.

"What did you just call me?!" Vincent moved to roll up his sleeves only to realize that they were already rolled up. "And do you want a damn lemon or not?"

"Lemon!"

"On the side or in it?"

"On the edge of the glass, fancy like."

"Uh huh, I'm sure you do, bitch," Vincent walked off.

"Hey, don't you think that guy over there looks like Undertaker in R.E.A.P.E.R.S.?" a girl whispered to her friend.

"What? Of course not," the other one whispered back. "He isn't nearly cute enough and he is so shy! Undertaker is confident!"

"But the hair is the same! And he has the same scars too!"

"He is obviously cosplaying! Why would Undertaker come to a place like this?"

"Now, now, ladies," Lau walked over and knelt down so he could rest his arms on the table. "I'll have you know that he used to ring so many people's Heart Radius accounts when he first started coming here. It wasn't until recently that he Paused it." Lau lowered his voice to whisper, "People think he did it because it was annoying for it to go off all of the time but if you ask me I think he likes someone on the staff."

The girls snickered to each other. "That can't be true! The only waiter you have is Vincent and no one would ever like him!"

Adrian stared at his drink intently as if there were mysteries within it. He still hadn't gotten up to go get food and now he wasn't sure if he wanted to. The table was right before the buffet and he didn't want to pass those gossiping girls.

"What the hell is reapers?" Vincent asked, slamming down the water on the table a few feet away. He got some on the customer but the guy was too scared to say anything.

"Not reapers, R.E.A.P.E.R.S. It's a band!" one of the girls googled it real fast to show him a picture. "Each member is named something dark. Ripper is my favorite but this one over here likes Undertaker," she pointed to her friend.

"So they're all a bunch of serial killers?" Vincent squinted at the phone. He looked back towards Adrian and back at the phone. "I guess they kind of look the same." Vincent stormed over and sat down across from Adrian in the booth he was in. He pointed at him and glared. "Bitch, are you secretly a famous person because if you are I expect a better tip."

"Vincent!" Lau rushed over and grabbed his arm. He dragged him off of the bench. "You can't just ask people if they are famous!"

"I need to get out of my shitty apartment complex! The roof leaked on my face again and I nearly drowned in my sleep!" Vincent shook his arm off of Lau's grasp.

"Maybe, if you were nicer..."

"Who gives a shit if I'm nice or not?" Vincent stormed out of the building. "I'm having a smoke," he growled, getting a pack of cigarettes out of his breast pocket. He leaned up against the window a few feet away from Adrian and lit his cigarette, as he exhaled smoke he checked his phone. The screen was cracked nearly beyond repair. He cut his finger. "Fucking shit!" He winced and licked his thumb. "Damnit!"

Adrian patted down his pockets. He always carried bandaids around in case the guitarist in his band practiced too hard. He found them and before thinking about being embarrassed over the fact that they were My Little Pony themed, he rushed out the door to place one on Vincent's thumb.

"Are you looking for a fight?" Vincent stared down at the My Little Pony bandaid.

"Ah, no, I'm sorry, I didn't have any others on me! They were on sale and I just got them for the price. I'm not a brony or anything! I promise!"

"I don't give a shit what you're into or not into. That's your business. But people better not think I'm some flamboyant homosexual or I'm skinning your ass," Vincent poked Adrian in the chest with his thumb. All Adrian could think about was that scene in Ratatouille, where the guy goes 'I killed a man, with this thumb.' and he forced himself not to laugh.

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"A homosexual?" Adrian tried not to sound too hopeful.

"Why're you askin'? You tryin'a fuck me?"

For a brief moment Adrian's alternate persona escaped. His head tilted and his eyes poked out from underneath his long fringe. His lips curved upward in a mischievous grin and he asked this simple question, "You tryin'a get fucked?" to which Vincent, for the first time in his life, was speechless. His eyes widened a bit and his mouth opened, causing his cigarette to drop and fall to the ground only to land on his shoe.

"Goddamnit!" Vincent cursed, snapped out of his daze and grabbed his foot. "That shit burns!"

"I'm sorry!" Adrian apologized, even though it wasn't exactly his fault (but it was still mostly his fault).

"Don't fucking apologize it's my goddamn fault for being so stupid," Vincent put his foot back down and sighed. "Just another sign I should stop smoking."

"Why don't you then?"

"Because I'm a good-for-nothing piece of shit, that's why," Vincent replied. "When are you going to actually get food from the buffet instead of staring at your drink? I can assure you it wasn't made with love. I've got none of that."

"Oh, right," Adrian turned around and walked back inside to go get his food.

"'Are you a homosexual?'" Vincent mumbled under his breath. "The things strangers ask these days." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Am I a homosexual?" he blinked, confused, having never thought about it before. "Ah, I don't have time to think about that shit," Vincent reached up to scratch the back of his neck. He shook his head to avoid further thought. "I've got two dumbass brothers to take care of. I don't got any time for fucking romance. There was that one time I kissed Lau though," Vincent crossed his arms and closed his eyes, remembering the spin the bottle game. "Would that make me gay? This shit is complicated. If I had a good phone I could just download Heart Radius and have it tell me. Agh!" Vincent ruffled his hair and walked back in the restaurant to work. "Is anybody looking for a refill?" he asked.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm back," Vincent announced. His brothers, who he dubbed Shitty Thing One and Shitty Thing Two, ran to either side and jumped up to be carried in his arms.

"Welcome back!" they said in unison.

"You assholes are getting too old for this!" Vincent grumbled. If these two kept doing this every time he came home he wouldn't ever need to work out. Shitty Thing One, aka Ciel, followed in his big brother's footsteps. He glared a lot, swore a lot, and got quite a few piercings on his face and ears. Shitty Thing Two, aka Leic, was a bit nicer and had a fascination with dressing nicely. The two couldn't be more different. They even went so far as to have polar opposite hobbies. But they did share one thing: their boyfriend, Sebastian Michaelis.

"You're going to make me jealous if you keep running to your brother like that," Sebastian leaned up against the wall and sighed.

"Maybe we want to make you jealous," Leic smiled, giving Vincent a kiss.

"Back off, bitch, I came out first I get to claim Vin," Ciel pushed Leic's head away and kissed Vincent too.

Vincent dropped the both of them. "You incestuous little shits," he growled. "Go fuck each other and leave me out of it."

"You say that," Leic snickered.

"But you didn't refuse our kiss," Ciel finished the sentence. 

"Maybe you're right," Leic shrugged and ran over to Sebastian to jump up into his arms.

"We should give each other some company," Ciel finished the sentence and did the same. The three retreated to their room.

"Just keep it down, assholes!" he sat on the floor and picked up the laptop. Time to investigate that band a bit more. He went right to youtube and typed in 'undertaker.' It didn't take long before he found someone that looked like the regular customer.

"It's almost creepy how similar the two look," Vincent admitted. The video was oddly appealing. Each member in the band was attractive but Undertaker made it a point to reach out to the audience. He swayed his hips and danced with the microphone's pole.

"What is this? A strip tease?" Vincent scoffed, scrolling down to look at the comments. The world loved him for reasons unknown. Memories of his star days came to him. He shuddered at the thought. Satanic Siblings. It was possible no one remembered them now. He was a teenager at the time and his brothers were about ten. They formed a singing trio until the scandal with their mother sleeping with directors when they turned to acting. Their career was over and they were all forgotten now. Vincent tried so hard to run away from that past. Changing his appearance, his personality, the way he walked and talked and existed. But pieces of his previous self still remained.

"What's this? Darling brother is interested in the newest band?" Leic hugged Vincent from behind and looked at the screen.

"I thought you didn't like these trend things," Ciel furrowed his brows in confusion.

"I don't. I just, well, there is a guy that shows up at my job all of the time and they look the same," Vincent defended himself.

"Do you have a crush on him?" Ciel was even more confused now.

"I don't have Heart Radius. How am I supposed to know that shit?" Vincent frowned.

"You know, before people had Heart Radius they used to rely on their actual hearts," Sebastian plopped down on the ground. The twins sat on top of him and hugged each other.

"I don't know, seems fake," Vincent got up and went to his room. "Y'all do your weird threesome shit. I'm taking a nap." He face planted into his mattress that resided along the ground and fell into a nice sleep. But his dreams were haunted by Undertaker and his sexy hip motions.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, Vincent," Lau placed his hands on Vincent's shoulders and looked him in the eye with a serious expression. "I need you to do the new R.E.A.P.E.R.S. dance for me. This is not a request, this is an order."

"Why the fuck would I do that?"

"Because I pay you. Because I am your boss. Because I know you have that bastard talent of seeing a dance once and being able to replicate it. Did I mention that I pay you?"

"I better get a raise for this," Vincent mumbled. He pulled out his shitty phone and looked up the new trending video. Undertaker was the lead in this disaster. He sighed, watching carefully, and the lights dimmed. Leave it to Lau to have an area dedicated to dancing. He played the song and Vincent mumbled curses.

"Please sing too!" Lau replayed the intro as Vincent got into position. Adrian watched from his usual booth. His heart raced rapidly as Vincent replicated the dance number with ease. It had taken him months to learn that, even longer to sing and dance at the same time, but here Vincent was doing the exact thing in less than a minute with no practicing beforehand. Who was this beast? He recorded him, without a second thought, and sent the clip to his best friend.

"Ah, I should've asked first," Adrian regretted it afterwards but it was too late.

 _Omg!!! Who is that sexy beast?! Is that your waiter crush!!! I have to meet him!_ Grell texted back instantly. This truly was a mistake. He should've thought before acting. In almost no time at all the redheaded wonder walked through the door. The two shared a room with their other bandmates not far away from Black Lotus. That's why Adrian could show up so regularly. But it was still odd to see his friend walk in after texting him just three minutes ago.

"I never want to do that again," Vincent groaned. Lau got it all on video and kept replaying it.

"I'll give you the extra food and a bit of cash. So stop complaining," his eyes nearly made hearts as he hit replay for the fourth time. "Go greet our new customer," Lau shooed him away.

"Hello and welcome to Black Lotus," Vincent rolled his eyes. "Are you a party of one?" he asked. Grell eyed him up and down after lowering her sunglasses. She took a step forward and pinched his cheek. Vincent swatted her hand away and growled like a dog. "What the fuck? Who do you think you are?!"

"And there he is," Grell smiled. "That wonderful attitude! I like you already."

"Are you here to eat or what?" Vincent frowned.

"I'm really sorry," Adrian stood up and bowed repeatedly while apologizing. "She is with me." He grabbed Grell's hand and dragged her to his table.

"He is such a mean sexy beast. I love him," Grell swooned. "You have to ask him out."

"I don't even know if he likes me!" Adrian waved his hands frantically. "Don't say things like that so loudly!"

"Hey, sexy waiter guy," Grell waved him over.

"What the fuck do you want?" Vincent walked over and slammed his hand down on the table.

"Ooo," Grell shivered. "I like a man with confidence. If I give you a tip, will you kiss me?"

"Better be a damn good tip if you're asking for me to sell myself," Vincent replied. "I've got bills to pay and mouths to feed so how much are we talking?"

"I'll give you $300 if you kiss this man for a good minute," Grell offered.

"Set your timer and make it $500," Vincent crossed his arms.

"Grell, what are you doing?" Adrian panicked.

"Done," Grell got out her phone. She started the stopwatch and Vincent lifted Adrian up by the collar. He smashed their lips together and Adrian thought for sure he would die of a heart attack. He could taste the smell of smoke on his lips and feel his tongue piercing up against the roof of his mouth. Saliva dripped from his chin and people's heads turned in the restaurant. Lau recorded the whole thing, of course.

"Time," Grell reluctantly announced. Vincent released his grasp on Adrian's shirt and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Shall I add this to your bill or do you actually have cash?"

"Add it to the bill," Grell smiled. "A girl like me can't walk around with that type of money."

"Damnit," Vincent muttered. "I really needed cash. But, money is money."

"What did you need the cash for? If you don't mind me asking..." Adrian, to hide his embarrassment, avoided thinking about the kiss by asking this question.

"I was hoping to get my brothers some presents for Christmas this year," Vincent replied.

"Oh my god," Grell covered her heart with her hand. "Such a foulmouthed saint."

"Please take this," another regular customer walked up to Vincent and placed some cash in his hands. He sniffled, wiped his eyes, and walked out of the restaurant.

"Thanks?" Vincent stared down at the cash and put it in his pocket. "I wish I remembered his name. Names are so difficult."

"My name is Grell, this is Adrian," Grell introduced the two. "Try not to forget."

"Vincent," he pointed to his nametag and walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

"We all chipped in and got you a new phone," Leic held out a nicely wrapped box. "Merry Christmas."

"Shit, you didn't have to do that. The one I have was still functioning," Vincent opened the box.

"We wanted you to actually download Heart Radius. It was a selfish wish. Don't think about it too much," Ciel shrugged and plopped down to sit on Sebastian who was lying on the floor. His back cracked.

"Damn, that felt good actually," Sebastian moaned into the carpet.

"You have weird kinks," Ciel sighed.

"Says you."

"Is that the requirement?" Vincent asked. "I have to download that stupid app in order to have the phone?"

"Yep," Leic smiled. "Either that or you have to kiss us daily for the rest of your miserable life," his eyes gleamed.

"You little shitheads," Vincent frowned and opened the app store. It was a lengthy process getting an account set up. They asked a lot of questions and required a few pictures to choose from for profile pics. In the end, his predicted information was: cisgender and bisexual.

"I don't need any of that bullshit," Vincent changed his gender to prefer-not-to-show and kept the bisexual. "This is because I had a crush on Iron Man and Black Widow at the same time, isn't it?"

"I'm pretty sure it's because you liked both Kilgrave and Jessica Jones."

Vincent shrugged, "What can I say, they were both drop dead gorgeous."

"My point exactly," Ciel leaned back to lay perfectly on Sebastian. He was the best body pillow.

"I've never actually liked real people before though," Vincent closed his eyes to think. "Never had a crush on someone I'd actually be able to form a relationship with."

"Your day will come, sunshine," Leic assured. "That's why you have the app now."

"Yeah, okay," Vincent grabbed his leather jacket and walked outside. "I'm going to the store, need anything?"

"Nope," everyone replied.

The walk to the convenience store was a short one. It was right across the street. Vincent's long time childhood friend worked there basically around the clock. It was a family run place and he was paying off a debt. Vincent's Heart Radius went off as soon as he entered, causing Diedrich to go into a frenzy.

"You should've told me you got Heart Radius!" Diedrich scrambled to Pause his account.

"You should've told me you had a crush, dude," Vincent walked over to the drink area and grabbed a tea of some sort.

"Are you really cool with this?" Diedrich rung him up and gave him his change. "You don't think it's strange?"

"I've known you forever," Vincent opened the bottle and took a long sip. "I'm not going to suddenly hate you just because you have feelings of some sort. Ever stop to think that the app might be wrong?" Vincent tossed the bottle into recycling and sat down in the chair across the counter.

"The app has a ninety-nine success rate," Diedrich crossed his arms and leaned back in his own chair. "I know it isn't wrong."

"Well, mine didn't set yours off, did it? So, sorry bro but it looks like I don't feel the same."

"You're way too chill about this."

"What do you want me to do? Cause a scene? Fuck you in an alleyway?"

"Well..." Diedrich pondered the thought.

Vincent laughed. "I wouldn't mess with your feelings like that but..." Vincent smirked. "If you pay me, I might just do it."

"You're as desperate for money as always," Diedrich ruffled Vincent's hair and the two laughed. "Why not just go back into show business if you're in such need for cash?"

"I've thought about it," Vincent sighed. "But, honestly, what person wants my shitty personality in the news? I've fucked up my looks, can't last a sentence without cursing, and developed an addiction to cigarettes. That's not the kind of person people want to obsess over. They want that nice beautiful boy type that is innocent and sings good."

"You don't give yourself enough credit. I'd be your fan," Diedrich shrugged.

"Damn right you would. If you didn't support me, I would be offended."

Diedrich's phone vibrated and he nearly dropped it. "Holy shit!" he showed the text to Vincent. "You've gone viral!"

"What the fuck?" Vincent grabbed the phone and clicked the link. There was an entire twitter feed dedicated to that performance he gave in Black Lotus. "Lau, that motherfucker," Vincent handed the phone back to Diedrich and walked out. "I'm going to kill him!"


	6. Chapter 6

Vincent slammed his fist down on Lau's door and yelled. "Get out here you little shit!" He knew Lau was behind the door because his Heart Radius went off. Apparently a lot of people had crushes on him that he didn't know about. No wonder Lau never fired him. Why fire the guy you have a crush on?

"I didn't do it! I swear! Okay, well, maybe I did," Lau admitted. "But I didn't post the first video! That was probably Adrian or his friend! I promise you that I am loyal!"

"Adrian?" Vincent stopped slamming the door. "Really? Why would he do that?"

"Yes. I'm sure it was one of those two. The first video came from the R.E.A.P.E.R.S. official youtube channel." Lau unlocked the door and opened it slightly. He assessed whether or not Vincent was angry at him still and then opened the door all the way.

"Do you know where he lives?"

"What?"

"I'm asking you if you know where he lives." Vincent crossed his arms. "Do you?"

"Well, he pays with card sometimes so I know his billing address but isn't that illegal if I give that to you?" Lau paused to think about it. "Hm, well, what do I care? He likes you anyway. I'm sure it's fine," he walked away for a moment to write it down.

"He likes me too?" Vincent's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am. Why else would he Pause his Heart Radius when it going off makes him more profitable for the band?"

"Uhm, maybe he is famous and wants to keep himself from getting noticed?"

"Okay, fair point," Lau handed him the sticky note with the address on it. "It's not too far away. You should be able to find it pretty easily. Oh, and uh," Lau scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry for ringing your Heart Radius. I'll Pause it when you're working..."

"I don't give a shit how you feel," Vincent walked away and lifted his hand to wave goodbye. "Do what you want."

"You're such a heart stealer!" Lau ran out and grabbed Vincent's arm, dragging him inside. "Before you leave at least have a cup of tea or something. It's freezing outside, you know? You have to cool off at least a little bit before beating up that cute man."

"Who said I was going to beat him up? I'm just going to give him a firm talking to with my fists."

"That's the same thing as beating someone up," Lau's eyebrows furrowed. "Please? Just a cup of tea? You came all this way I don't want you to leave after just a minute or two."

"Fine, just one though," Vincent closed the door and sat down in one of Lau's weird chairs. He liked having weird furniture around. Vincent couldn't remember the last time he'd been in the living space of Black Lotus. He'd only ever paid attention to the kitchen and the restaurant. Lau's decorating was as shitty as always, even if it was his home.

"Here you go," Lau placed the biggest mug he owned in front of Vincent.

"This is because I said just one cup, isn't it?" he frowned, taking a sip of whatever this tea combination was. Lau had a multitude of strange habits. Putting two different tea bags in the same cup was one of them.

"Hm, you know me so well," Lau turned his hands into a heart.

"Have you found out which customer was activating your Heart Radius yet?"

"Hm, no, not really. I think whoever it was Paused the account," Lau pondered the memory. "But it's okay, I screenshotted the heart so it will forever be in my memory that someone somewhere activated my Heart Radius," he shed a single tear.

"I see," Vincent placed the mug back down.

"You're really hitting the news hard though. No one seems to recognize you, isn't that a bit strange?" Lau showed Vincent his phone. The first three trending tags on twitter were related to him in some way.

"It's better if they don't. I wish I wasn't in the news at all. Nothing good ever comes of that," Vincent could feel a bundle of anxiety building up in his chest. He wasn't going to get any new information if he continued to sit in one place talking to Lau. "I really need a cigarette..."

"Hm, do you though? You've been smoking a lot more."

"Fuck you," Vincent growled.

"Fuck me when, darling," Lau remade his hands into a heart and winked.

"You're a good for nothing idiot, do you know that?" Vincent downed his giant mug of tea and stared at the sticky note in his hand. It was time to find Adrian.

"Be safe out there," Lau waved. "Don't do anything too reckless. I'll feel betrayed that you had fun without me."

"Yeah, yeah," Vincent slammed the door and went on his way. "I'm using so much data and I haven't had this phone very long..." he grumbled as he searched up the address for Adrian's location. "Guess I should start thinking about what I'm going to ask first..."


	7. Chapter 7

"Uhm, we have a situation," Grell looked at the front door's camera. She stared at it, blinked a few times, turned it off, turned it on again, and then sighed. 

"What's wrong?" William, aka Mortician, the guitarist in the band, asked.

"I may or may not have posted a video of that sexy waiter online and now his temperamental self is angrily stomping his foot outside our door." She laughed for a moment and twirled the tip of her hair in-between her fingers. Why didn't she think this through first? Shit. Shitty shit shit shit. 

"That is a situation," Adrian raced over to check the camera. Sure enough, Vincent was standing there just as angry as usual. He'd gotten tired of pacing and was smoking a cigarette. Or, maybe three. He should really stop smoking. That's bad for his health, and his voice, which Adrian knew he totally had. 

"I'm not here to beat any of you up," Vincent clarified, "I just want to know why you did it." He threw the cigarette down on the ground and snuffed it out with his shoe. He looked somewhat calmer now but that scared Adrian all the more. 

"Wish me luck," Adrian put on his jacket. "I'm going out there." 

"Good luck," Grell saluted.

Adrian took a deep breath and opened the door. He completely exited the building and closed the door. "Ah, so you came out finally," Vincent breathed on his hands to try and warm them up. Maybe he should've used his lighter to do that instead. But, he wasn't really thinking about it. 

"I didn't know she was going to post the video. She never mentioned it. I didn't find out until it went viral," Adrian confessed. "Please don't hate me."

"I don't hate you, relax. I actually came to see if you lot would let me join your band thing," Vincent put his hands into his pockets and shivered. "Even as just a manager or some shit. I need the extra cash and if I'm popular right now it could help you guys."

"Uhm..." Adrian scratched the side of his cheek.

"Thanks for not telling me no outright," Vincent turned to leave. "I'd probably do worse for your image with my shitty personality. Maybe I'll die down in a couple of days and no one will realize who I am."

"Who you are-?" Adrian took a step forward and stopped Vincent from leaving by blocking his path. He needed this information. Vincent rarely talked about himself since he was just Adrian's waiter. This was his chance!!! He had to get closer to him!!!

"You didn't know?" Vincent's eyes widened. "I thought the whole reason she posted it was a publicity stunt. You really don't know who I am?"

Adrian shook his head.

"I'm Vincent Phantomhive, the oldest Satanic Siblings member," he pointed to himself as he explained. Damn. That was the first time he said that in years. It felt awful to admit it out loud. After all of the shit that went down. He sighed, scratching his arm. "Shit," he muttered, wishing he hadn't said anything. 

The door instantly opened and William gestured for him to come inside. "Let's talk about this where it's warm. I'm the one who will decide if you join or not."

"It's really fine," Vincent waved it off. "I'll just go home. It was a silly idea."

"No," William grabbed his hand. "Come inside," he dragged him in and closed the door. He just barely let Adrian back in before it closed.

"So, you're telling me that you used to be a dapper motherfucker?" Grell looked at the younger picture of Vincent and held it up to his face. The two couldn't be more different now.

"Life wasn't easy on me, okay? I joined a real shitty crowd and needed to take care of myself. That's all," Vincent leaned back in his chair and sipped a cup of tea.

"If you're going to join us you have to go back to being that dapper fellow," William searched the internet for reactions of Vincent's latest news.

"I don't know if that's possible," Vincent sighed. "Can we just forget I ever asked?"

"It might be nice to have a really _extra_ personality on our team," Adrian shrugged. "Maybe people will like it?"

"Being famous is a real tough game," William adjusted his glasses. "If we do one thing wrong we will get so much backlash for it and lose our fame. Just look at the Satanic Siblings." Vincent flinched at that comment. He did have a point though...couldn't get mad at him for it. 

"I'm sure we will figure it out if something goes wrong," Grell smiled. "Let's just do it! Make the announcement in a couple of days. If Vincent isn't that famous anymore than we won't add him to the group!"

"You want to risk everything we have ever worked for on a single waiter?" William frowned.

"What can I say? I'm a gambler!" she winked.

"It's okay," Vincent stood up and made his way over to the door. "Don't stress yourselves over it. If anything, I'd be much better off as the ghost I always was."

"Ah! That's it!" Adrian pointed to him. "You can be Phantom! It fits in with our theme perfectly. We can give you a mask-like in the Phantom of the Opera! It works with the whole aesthetic we have going for us, right? You know it's true William!" 

"We'll see how the news takes him in the next few weeks. Until then," William pointed at Vincent. "Get back to your dapper self. Phantoms need to be mysteriously good looking with a gentleman persona. Think gentleman thief. You're going to steal the audience's heart, _if_ I accept you, that is." 


	8. Chapter 8

"This was a big mistake," Vincent sat on the edge of the sidewalk and stared out into the street. He smoked his cigarette and then looked at it, realizing he should probably quit if he was going back to singing, then smashed it into the sidewalk and threw it into the nearest trash can. Don't litter folks. That's bad for the planet. 

"Haaaaaaa," he exhaled a long breath, just checking his lungs were still functioning, and then did a few practice runs for scales. He had a perfect pitch. Nothing to worry about there. 

"This is so stupid," Vincent held his head in his hands and sighed again. His phone dinged. He looked at the Love Radius notification and then glanced around. A male waved from across the street. 

"Looks like I'm your match," he smiled. His hair a mixture of pink and purple with star pins in it. He waved and looked both ways before crossing the street. Don't get run over folks. That's bad for you. He sat down next to Vincent and smiled. 

"I don't think I set yours off though," Vincent apologized, sort of, not really. He hadn't caused anyone's Love Alarm to go off. Was it broken? Was he broken? Probably. But he was attracting a lot of men. Why was that? Did they like the punk look or something? 

"Do I...know you from somewhere?" he stared at him carefully, eyeing him up and down, but frowned. "Oh, my name is Blavat by the way," he grinned, holding out his hand. 

"Vincent," he replied, not shaking his hand. 

"Vincent?" he squinted, staring at him too closely, getting into his personal space. "Oh! You're all over the internet right now, aren't you? Something about...hm...what was it? Singing?" he tried to think but wasn't sure what Vincent was famous for. He never actually watched the video. 

"Yeah, something like that," Vincent nodded. His phone vibrated in his pocket so he answered it without checking the caller ID. "This is Vincent, what the fuck do you want?" he growled. 

"Oh, uhm, hi, this is Adrian," muttered the other side. "Did I interrupt something?" 

"No," Vincent glanced at Blavat. "What do you want?" 

"Can I meet you? Uhm. If you aren't busy, that is," Adrian forced himself to talk. 

"Lau kicked me out for being rude to customers, again, so I'm free," Vincent grabbed his box of cigarettes and got one out. He stared at it. Wanting to smoke it so badly. But put it back in the box. 

"Great! I'll text you the details then!" Adrian tried his best not to sound too excited. 

Vincent stared at his phone and opened up Heart Radius. He paused his account, tired of getting unwanted attention, and then looked over at Blavat. "Why are you still here?" he frowned. 

"You looked so happy. Is that you're boyfriend?" he grinned, revealing nothing. 

"No." 

"So you're still single?" 

"Is that any of your fucking business?" 

"Sure it is," Blavat moved his hand to Vincent's lips, forcing something into his mouth. It tasted sweet. What? 

"What the fuc-"

"If you want to stop smoking you have to replace the habit with a different one. Try these," he smiled, handing Vincent a bag of hard candies. "I run a candy shop over there," he pointed. "Feel free to stop by for more!~" he said, standing up to leave. 

...

Adrian stood awkwardly and stared at his phone. This was the day. He'd finally turned his account back on. He was going to confess to Vincent! Finally! He looked, waiting, and saw Vincent get closer and closer. His heart pounded in his chest as he finally stepped into the app's range. 

Nothing? 

Did his phone die?

Adrian looked down. No. His phone was still working so... why? 

"You look out of it," Vincent crossed his arms and sighed. "What did you want to talk to me about? Or do you just need someone to kill time with?" 

"I, uhm," Adrian looked down at his phone again, mystified, and then put it back into his pocket. Was this an error? Was Heart Radius not actually as hi-tech as everyone said? Why wasn't it working? Did Adrian mistake his feelings this whole time? How the hell did people manage this kind of thing without an app to tell them what they felt? Was he not actually into men? Was his whole perception of love completely wrong? 

"Are you okay?" Vincent stared, waving his hand in front of Adrian's face. 

"I-" Adrian.exe failed to work. He couldn't think of anything to say and he certainly didn't know of a good excuse for bringing Vincent out here if his confession was a bust. Should he say it anyway? But the app told him he was wrong. Why did he have to start questioning all of his life choices now? Fuck. Tears began to fall and Adrian wiped them away as soon as he felt them. He was so sure before...so confident in his feelings...just for an app to tell him he was wrong and rock the whole boat? Then who was he supposed to love now? 

"You're clearly having a moment of some kind but I am not good with that sort of thing so," Vincent grabbed Adrian's hand and placed the bag of candy he just got into it. His touch felt so nice. Adrian enjoyed the feeling of his hand holding his. This was so confusing. 

A chime went off and Adrian looked at his phone. He turned his head to see his ex standing there. "Oh my, I didn't expect to see you here again, of all places." 

"Aleister..." Adrian mumbled. 

"Looks like things are still alive between us," he smiled slightly, showing his phone to Adrian. His face turned pale. How could he set his idiot's account off but not the guy he was actually interested in? He glanced over to Vincent and then back to Aleister. Does that mean...he really wasn't over him? But he'd made so much progress...

"Shall I sweep you off your feet again?" Aleister smiled, holding out a rose he pulled out of thin air. 

Vincent stared at Adrian's face and then looked at Aleister. He could tell that this guy made him uncomfortable so he wrapped his arm around Adrian's waist and raised his middle finger to the new guy. "Sorry bitch, he has plans," he snapped, turning them promptly around to walk in the other direction, as far away from him as possible. Vincent didn't realize that he was still holding Adrian the entire way. He also had no idea where he was going. He just knew something was wrong and that he was irritable for no reason. But, then again, he was always irritable for no reason. 

"Vincent..." 

"What?" he growled, after realizing it was just Adrian he apologized. "Sorry," he muttered, removing his arm. "You looked uncomfortable so I-" 

"Thank you." 

"Huh?" Vincent blinked, not used to the phrase. "Oh, uh, you're welcome, I guess?" 


	9. Chapter Eight

"So how was your date?" Grell grinned, kicking her legs back and forth in the air as she lay on her stomach. She was on the couch, waiting for this very moment to arrive. 

"Miserable..." Adrian sighed, leaning up against the wall and plopping to the ground. He hugged his knees. 

"What? Why?" Grell frowned. "I thought you were going to confess to him today." 

"His Heart Radius didn't go off..." Adrian sighed. "And Aleister showed up." 

"Excuse me? Who?" Grell clutched the edge of the couch, digging her long nails into it. "Do I need to murder a bitch? I told him not to set foot near you!" 

"I set off his app but not Vincent's," Adrian started sobbing into his knees. "What's wrong with me?" 

"Oh, honey, nothing is wrong with you," Grell rushed over to him and gave him a hug, patting his head. "I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding. Plus these things aren't always accurate." 

"Yeah, uh huh, something with a 99.9% accuracy is just inaccurate for me?" Adrian sobbed more. 

"His phone could've been turned off or maybe he paused his account?" Grell tried to offer up suggestions but they went in one ear and out the other. Adrian couldn't hear any of it. He was still terribly shocked that Aleister's app chimed. 

"You don't think that Vincent was the one to set it off, do you?" Adrian muttered, not even wanting to entertain the idea." 

"Sweetie, I'm pretty sure Vincent has a refined list of taste in individuals and bastard-man is not on that list," Grell frowned.

"So it really was me?" 

"I don't know, I wasn't there, but I don't think you need to be thinking so hard about it." 

"Should I not have broken up with Aleister?" Adrian asked. He realized after he said it how stupid it was but Grell didn't scold him for that. She just sat there for a moment. No words passed between them. 

"Honey," she finally started talking. "If your man can't treat you like you're the most important person in his life, then he ain't your man." 

"But-" 

"Adrian," she grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "You can't let that app tell you what to do forever. What do _you_ want for your love life?" 

"I want to be with Vincent," he admitted. 

"Then it's time to start doing things the old fashioned way," she grinned. 

...

"Who the fuck was that?" Vincent gritted his teeth, remembering Aleister. 

"Who the fuck was who? Or who the fuck was fucking who? Because I've told you millions of times I've never seen Game of Thrones so don't ask me about the twisted relationships or why people like it so much. To be honest, I'm more of a Witcher fan myself so I can tell you all about that instead if you want," Lau frowned, eating some ice cream. 

"Someone set off my most loyal costomer's Heart Radius today," Vincent leaned his chin on his hand and frowned. 

"Yeah, and? He looks like Undertaker. I'm sure it happens a lot," Lau shrugged. Vincent glared. Lau smirked. " _Oooh_ , but that's not what this is about, is it? You like him, don't you?" 

"Did I say anything about liking him? I don't have time for that romance bullshit," Vincent's frown remained. 

"Vincent," Lau shook his head and stretched out both hands to poke both of Vincent's cheeks. "If you're mad about someone else trying to get into a relationship with a guy you know, that's kind of the definition of jealousy." 

"I. Don't. Do. Romance." Vincent swatted away Lau's fingers. "I have brothers to take care of and bills to pay." 

"So, if you had the money, would you do romance?" 

"If I had a well-paying job, wouldn't that take up most of my time?" 

"That's not the question," Lau frowned. "If you had all of the money in the world and all of the free time, then would you do romance?" He paused for a moment. "You wouldn't, would you? So what is it about romance that really bugs you then?" 

Vincent had never thought about it before. He'd kept putting off the idea of falling in love. He put it off and distracted himself with other things over and over because he didn't want to associate with it. After seeing how trivial relationships were to his mother, maybe that turned him off of romance? If she could sleep with anyone and everyone just for a better time slot for her sons, what was the point of getting invested in one particular person? She would just cheat on them anyway when the time arrived. He went around in circles, trying to find the root of his problem, but the more he thought the more confused he got. 

"Maybe you should go to a therapist or something," Lau suggested, taking another bite of his ice cream. 

"I don't have-" 

"The time or money, yeah I know." 

Vincent's phone buzzed. "This is Vincent. What the fuck do you want?" he growled. 

"We really need to work on your personality," William's voice spoke from the other end of the line. 

"Oh, you're that uh..." Vincent's mind trailed off into a spiral again, he forgot all about the phone call. 

"Are you even serious about joining our band?" William sighed. 

"Yes," Vincent snapped out of his daze. 

"Great, then come over and show us how well you can fake not being you." 

"What the fuck does that mean?" 

"Dapper yourself, bitch," William snapped, hanging up. 


	10. Chapter Nine

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" Ciel looked at Vincent staring into the depths of his closet. The more he stared the less human he seemed to be. Was this what it was like staring into the abyss? 

Vincent didn't say anything but he finally started moving. He pushed all of his clothes aside for the items in the back. He grabbed old things from his Satanic Siblings days and hastily adjusted them so they'd fit him. It had been so long. He didn't know if he could play that role anymore. But, he'd have to try if he was going to join this band. 

He took out all of his obnoxious earring arrangements and replaced them with smaller studs to make them less noticeable. He gelled back his hair, allowing for some of it to cover the tip of his more heavily pierced ear. Then, he got changed. He found the only decent pair of shoes he had and some suit pants. All that was left was this white shirt he tried to bleach a few days ago to remove stains and this vest. 

Vincent finished up the final touches, attempting to make the outfit look less like something he dragged out of the closet of a homeless man and more like something a rich person would wear. It was passable, but not the best. It would have to do for an introduction to how well Vincent could change his 'personality'. William should be thrilled. 

Now he just had to get into character. 

He closed his eyes and placed his hand over his chest. Ciel watched as his entire aura shifted slightly. He'd seen this happen a few times before, way back when they were first starting, but since that was so long ago it was impossible for him to remember how creepy it was. 

"You look rather startled, are you certain you're alright?" Vincent held out his hand with a smile and caught Ciel as he stumbled forward. Vincent? Smiling instead of scowling? That didn't seem real. 

"Uhm, yeah, you're definitely getting into that band or whatever," Ciel muttered, standing up properly again. 

"One can only hope, I suppose," Vincent chuckled lightly and walked out into the unknown world. People turned their heads left and right wondering who this guy was and why he was in _this_ side of town. But, he just smiled and waved a bit, continuing on his merry way all the way to his destination. 

He rang the doorbell and waited for someone to come outside. William should know he was on his way. Or something like that. He opened the door and stared at Vincent. He squinted, without his glasses, and asked, "Do I know you?" 

"Will, I told you to put your glasses on fir-" Grell's jaw dropped and she ran back inside. "Excuse me! Adrian you never told me cleaned up so nicely how could you keep this from me!" 

"What are you talking abou-" Adrian stopped talking when he saw Vincent. He stared for a moment and then walked backward right inside. He hid his face in his hands and dropped to the floor after hiding in the nearest corner. "Ohmyfuckinggodwhyishesohotallthegoddamntimeiwasn'treadyforthisfuckingglowuphewashotbeforebutlikewhattheabsolutefuck-" and continued muttering words that no one was able to hear. 

"So, you're Vincent?" William glared, without meaning to, he just couldn't see a single thing right now without his glasses on. He could barely see even with his glasses on. 

Vincent placed his hand on his chest and continued smiling, "Vincent Phantomhive, at your service," he replied. "Do I meet your requirements?" 

"Yes, honey, yes, say yes Will, look at him, look at him!" Grell grabbed William's arms and gestured to Vincent wildly. She didn't want to let that pretty face with raw talent out of her sight. They needed a surprise new member. It would raise sales. Plus the dramatic change from punk to a gentleman? People would eat that right up. Or, should they keep it a secret to make it more dramatic? They hadn't decided yet. 

"We'll see what the fans think," William reluctantly agreed. "You'll have a guest performance as a temporary member and we'll use Heart Radius to decide if you're worth keeping or not." 

"So, I passed the test?" Vincent asked. 

"I suppose." 

"Fantastic." Vincent grinned but after a few moments of standing still and doing nothing he reverted back into his usual self. Vincent tore the tie off of his neck and slammed it down into the ground. "Fucking piece of shit! I never want to see you again, damnit!" he complained, stomping up and down on the tie that wasn't worthy of being called a tie. "Agrhhhhhaaahhhh!" He stopped jumping and ruffled his hair to get the gell out. "Fucking nasty," he stared at his hands covered in gell and then pushed by William and Grell to get inside. He went to the nearest sink and started washing his hands. 

"Uhm..." 

"What?" Vincent glared, without really meaning too, and for some reason Adrian was relieved. He held out a towel for Vincent to use and smiled awkwardly. "Oh, right," Vincent snatched the towel and dried his hands. 

"Can you go back?" Grell started sobbing. "You were so handsome. Why did you ruin it?" she sobbed into her arm and retreated into her room, mourning the loss of dapper Vincent. It was too soon. He was gone too quickly. 


	11. Chapter Ten

"We got you a proper outfit this time," William gestured to the clothes in the dressing room. They'd gotten his character design down pat. All Vincent had to do was make his dramatic appearance and turn on his Heart Radius again. Ugh, that damned thing, he wished he never downloaded it in the first place. 

"Right." 

"So you know what you're going to do for tonight?" William clarified for the fiftieth time. 

"Yes, darling, he knows, shush," Grell grabbed William's arm and dragged him out. "Let the boy change." 

The door closed and Vincent stared at the pile of clothes. He muttered a few complaints and took off his shirt. The door opened again and he stood, stone still, wondering who the fuck would walk into a room without knocking first. His question was quickly answered. 

"I just wanted to- _oh_ ," Adrian blinked and started closing the door. "I'm so sorry." 

"It's fine," Vincent sighed. "I'm going to need help with the makeup anyway so just come in," he motioned with his hand and started taking off his pants. Adrian glanced around the room awkwardly. He was made quite aware of the skintight outfit he was wearing and became embarrassed for an entirely different reason. He ran his hand through his long hair and tried to slick it back in a way that would make it stay. Adrian wasn't exactly in his own character yet. 

"You-" Vincent pointed at Adrian but closed his mouth. 

"Me?" Adrian pointed at himself. 

"You, uh," Vincent finished buttoning up the shirt he had on and then finished the vest right after. He inhaled and exhaled but his personality hadn't quite erased itself yet. "You're a fucking idiot for keeping your eyes covered all of the time, don't you know that's just going to cause nearsightedness?" he frowned, more upset with himself than Adrian. "No, sorry, that's not really what I meant-" he sighed. Vincent shut his mouth and just continued the final touches to his costume. He glared at himself in the mirror and then glared at the makeup and mask. 

"Are you nervous?" Adrian asked. 

"Nervous? What would I have to be nervous about?" 

"It's the first time you've been on a stage since you were younger...I just thought maybe..." Adrian looked at his hands, feeling stupid. 

"Sorry," Vincent muttered an apology. "I'm being an asshole, like usual." 

"I don't think you're an asshole." 

"Well, you should, because I am." Vincent stared at the makeup again and then decided he was just going to go without it. He would be wearing a mask over half of his face anyway. Now all he had to do was turn on his Heart Radius again or something so they could measure how much people loved him. He wasn't paying attention to that part of the plan. 

Adrian watched as he turned his Heart Radius back on but for some reason it didn't click inside his brain that the reason it didn't go off the first time was because Vincent had paused it. Now that it was being turned on again, he totally didn't think about the fact that he would set it off. And so, the silence between them was cut off by the noise of the app. 

"You..." Vincent looked down at his phone. "Like me?" 

Adrian, now frozen stiff and full of fear, took a step back and was fully prepared to make a run for it. Vincent slammed his hand down on the door, pushing it down, and Adrian was pressed up against it. He stared down at Vincent and his eyes threatened to shed tears. He was rapidly thinking of ways to apologize when Vincent opened his mouth just to close it again. He was processing something. 

"Why?" he asked. 

"Why?" 

"Why do you like me? I could understand Lau, he is attracted to everything that moves. Diedrich hasn't even known anyone else so of course he'd think he likes me. And strangers only judge on appearances or aesthetic but...why...why would _you_ like me? I've been nothing but rude to you at Black Lotus and-" 

"Because I do."

"What?"

"Because I do. I like you. There isn't really a reason. I just do?" Adrian laughed awkwardly and really wished he could disappear. "It's not really about how you look or how you act. I just like you. There is something about you that draws me to you and...I'm not very good with words. I'msosorry!" Adrian moved his hands to try and cover his face and Vincent grabbed his collar and pulled him down. He smashed their lips together and kissed him right there. Adrian melted into it, not sure why it was happening, and decided not to think too much more about it. 

The absence of lips against his made him feel lonely but Adrian knew they had to go on stage eventually. "You didn't even see my result..." Adrian muttered, moving his hand to grab his phone. 

Vincent placed his hand over the phone before Adrian could unlock the screen to check. He then pushed Adrian from the door. As he made his exit he spoke simply, with confidence, "I don't need a fucking app to tell me what I want." And Adrian looked down after watching Vincent's back leave in the distance of the hallway. 

_Someone loves you! - Heart Radius Notification_

"Well shit," Adrian blinked, wondering if it was real, and then took a screenshot for safekeeping. 


	12. Epilogue

_And now, introducing our guest member..._

The lights shone on the stage with Vincent walking out onto it. The crowd roared as the voting via Heart Radius showed up on the giant monitor. Vincent waved and smiled underneath his mask, as expected of him. The music started and even though Vincent barely knew the words he was somehow able to catch up. 

Adrian was an entirely different person on stage than off stage. Vincent's eyes kept going back to him instead of focusing on the performance. Perhaps kissing someone wasn't exactly the best method of pre-show preparation. 

Vincent walked over to Adrian and each time Adrian tried to look towards him he moved in the other direction. A strange game that neither one understood but played along with. In the end Vincent hugged Adrian from behind, resting his chin on Adrian's shoulder, grinning slightly as the lights dimmed. He disappeared when they turned back on, causing a loud cheer from the audience. Just like that, Vincent was now tied with Adrian for first place. 

...

After the performance, Vincent hadn't heard from William or anyone else for a few weeks. He kept working at Black Lotus, waiting for someone to tell him something, and no one really did. "Do you think I didn't get the job, in the end?" he muttered in Lau's general direction. 

"They'd be dumb not to hire you," Lau replied. 

"Hm," Vincent yawned and sunk into one of the booths. He rested his head on the table and instantly fell asleep. 

"You aren't supposed to sleep on the job," Lau huffed. 

Adrian walked through the door and saw Vincent sleeping. He placed his finger over his lips, telling Lau to keep quiet, and sat down next to him. He gently moved Vincent's head to his lap and grinned, playing with his hair. This would probably be the first and last time Adrian did something like this. 

"Mmn," Vincent nuzzled into Adrian's lap and got a bit more comfortable. 

"Did he get the job?" Lau wrote on a napkin and held it up. Adrian nodded. Lau snickered and walked away. 

"Wait," Vincent opened his eyes and grabbed Adrian's leg. "This is not a table." 

"No, my lap is not a table," Adrian agreed. 

Vincent stared up at his face and blinked. "When did you get here?" 

"Just a few moments ago." 

"What are you doing here?" 

"I'm here to tell you that you're accepted into the band. William is fully expecting to profit off of your good looks. We also have our own ship name," Adrian pulled out his phone and showed Vincent the hashtag with a bunch of posts. 

"Let me guess, William wants to profit off of fangirls by making sure word doesn't get out that we're together so that they can have full fanatic theorizing sessions?" 

"We're together?" Adrian blushed. Vincent smirked. 

"What else would we be?" 

"I don't know...it just...doesn't seem real." 

Vincent pulled Adrian's face down closer to his and kissed him. "Is that real enough for you?" he smirked. 

"I don't know, can you run that by me again?" Adrian snickered. 

"That isn't a kissing booth ladies," Lau called out to them. "Take it outside or kiss where I can see and enjoy it," he huffed. Vincent and Adrian both laughed.


End file.
